


Hazards of the job

by TheIceQueen



Series: Tired of fighting [12]
Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bathing/Washing, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Breakfast in Bed, Caretaking, Cute, Desus - Freeform, Eating, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forehead Kisses, Holding Hands, Humor, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Kissing, M/M, Massage, Minor Injuries, Nervousness, Nicknames, Oil, Pain, Painkillers, Pancakes, Pet Names, Tenderness, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Worry, drugged
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 06:11:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16213103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIceQueen/pseuds/TheIceQueen
Summary: -- Timeline: Nine moths into their relationship --Being a hand-to-hand combat instructor at a military base is not without risks. Paul almost never gets hurt but this day is different and Daryl has to step in and fix things.





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey!”

The flash of a Paul rushing through the foyer was gone before Daryl heard the response. “Hey.” Then the sound of the elevator door.

It was wired. Paul always came in to say hello after work, no matter how stressed or busy he was. And he never took the elevator.

Daryl dropped the TV-remote and let the football match entertain an empty room. Half way up the stairs he heard the elevator stop and expected to see Paul rush out and into the office, but the door stayed closed. The other elevator-door opened up directly into their bedroom. Daryl slowed down a bit before entering.

“Rovia? What’s going on?”

“Noting.”

Paul was on the bed with his back turned, struggling to get out of his t-shirt. Daryl walked over and for a second just stood there, looking at his boyfriend getting more and more stuck. Eventually he took pity on the squirming man and helped him push the fabric over his head, and something about how Paul had struggled with only one arm, made Daryl be careful when pulling the shirt over the other shoulder and arm.

“That doesn’t look like nothing.”

Paul’s shoulder was dislocated, and it looked like it was all the way out. The swelling indicated that it had been that was for quite some time too.

Paul started kicking his boots off, but the tight laces didn’t let him. He reached down with his right arm but not even half way there he gave up with a hiss that tore into Daryl’s gut.

“Hey. Sit up and let me help, okay?”

Daryl hunched down and undid the laces and removed Paul’s boots. Paul laid down slowly and Daryl lifted his feet up on the mattress. Breathless, Paul stuttered something that sounded like a ‘thanks’.

“What the hell happened to you?”

Waiting less than patient on Paul to get his breathing in order, Daryl noticed the grayish tint on Paul’s face.

“I fell wrong… and the other guy did too.”

“You don’t have a medic at the base?!”

Paul couldn’t possibly have driven all the way home with his shoulder out like that.

“He set it.” Paul moved his good hand over to hold on the other elbow. Clearly trying to steady the arm from moving. “It popped out again when I got in the car.”

Daryl hunched down next to Paul and Paul turned his head to follow his eyes. Daryl didn’t dare touch the arm or even his hand, so he buried his fingers lightly in Paul’s dark hair.

“Rovia… Tell me you didn’t drive home with your shoulder like this.”

Paul took a breath like he was going to speak but decided not to in the last second.

It was a forty-five minutes’ drive from the base to their house. The amount off pain Paul had to be in now…

“Dammit, Paul!” Daryl stood up and took a few steps back. “Why the hell didn’t you go back in?”

Paul bit the inside of his lower lip and looked away. Daryl just stood their waiting for an answer and finally Paul realized that he had to say something.

“I wasn’t ready… Dee…” Daryl looked at his boyfriend, but Paul didn’t look up. “… I don’t handle pain like you do.”

Daryl knew he had a high threshold for pain, and Paul knew it too. All the times Paul had re-set Daryl’s elbow and the times Daryl had come home from a hunt whit scrapes and bruises and barely blinked as Paul tended to them. Daryl knew that Paul’s threshold was closer to normal and as far as he knew, this was the first time Paul had ever dislocated anything, so Daryl wasn’t surprised that Paul was hesitant about having his shoulder set a second time.

Slowly, Daryl sat down next to the bed again and talked as calm as he could. “Rovia?” Paul looked up. “I’ll set it, okay?”

Paul nodded, but when Daryl tried to move Paul’s hand from his elbow, the man tensed, and his eyes flared open.

“Okay. Take it easy.” Daryl got on his feet and walked to the dresser. He’d almost forgotten about these. He’d always have them somewhere close, but he had never used them and probably never would. He didn’t like the effect of painkillers.

He popped two pills out in his hand. Standing over Paul he noticed small pearls of sweat forming on his forehead and looking closer, his good hand was shaking slightly in its grip. He popped out a third pill.

“Here, Hot-Stuff. Take these.”

Paul looked confused but accepted the glass of water and the help to sit up slightly. He looked at the white tablets and then at Daryl.

“Dee…?”

“I got them for my knee. They’re supposed to be the real deal.”

They shared a smile and Daryl nodded at Paul to go on and he swallowed the pills. Daryl took the glass and helped him back down.

“Let’s just give it ten minutes to work. I can’t wait longer than that.” He sat down on his knees and placed his big calloused hand lightly on Paul’s chin and felt Paul lean against it.

The swelling was getting bad, he couldn’t wait too long, but at the same time, just touching Paul’s shoulder without some kind of pain relief would be impossible.

 

* * *

 

“You sleeping? Rovia?”

The ten minutes was almost up, and Paul had been quiet and mostly relaxed for the past five.

“ _You_ ’re sleepin…”

“Rovia. I have to do it now.”

Just like that, Paul came back to life. Sluggish and slow, but fully aware of what was going on.

“No. Dee, I’m not ready.”

It had to be the drugs making Paul sound like a scared kid. He was nervous before, but at least he was calm and being a grown-up about it.

Daryl stood up and this time firmly removed Paul’s hand from his arm. “You _are_ ready.” Paul didn’t move the hand back. Maybe there was a speck of Paul’s willpower in there still. The hiss coming from Paul when Daryl put his heavy hand on the front of his shoulder, almost made Daryl stop. Didn’t the painkillers work? He took Paul’s wrist in his other hand.

“Dee…”

He paused for a second and looked Paul in the eyes. He was scared but his body didn’t seem able to conjure up much strength to support it.

“Poppet. Your hand is getting cold, you know I can’t wait.” Paul nodded and took a deep breath. “Didn’t the pills do anything for the pain?”

Paul smiled and took a breath more. “Yeah. It’s better. But…”

“I know. But this won’t take long.”

Paul rested his head back in the pillow looking straight into the ceiling. Daryl took that as his que and tightened his grips on the soldier.

The low moans and muffled cries coming from Paul as Daryl moved his arm out in a big curve, made Daryl fight to hold in his lunch. The pills had definitely been a good idea. Even with the small sounds, Paul seemed half out of it. Something in the shoulder moved and Paul cried out, but it wasn’t back in place. There was no reason to wait. Paul wouldn’t get better from it, so Daryl started again.

Paul’s other hand grabbed Daryl’s shoulder as the movement became more resisting. The shoulder relaxed in a spilt second and Paul pulled away from the touch. The sound of the shoulder finding the right form was the most beautiful thing Daryl had ever heard, but Paul’s face indicated that he didn’t agree that this was a moment to cherish.

Daryl sat on the edge of the mattress, placed Paul’s left hand on his rapidly moving chest and held it there. “Poppet. Breathe it’s done.”

Paul took a few deep breaths and opened his eyes. Not able to make eye-contact with his boyfriend, Daryl had to move Paul’s head to face him.

“You there?”

Paul grabbed Daryl’s shoulder and pulled him down for the most sloppy kiss Daryl had ever experienced.

“Good... You just get some sleep.”

Daryl kissed Paul’s forehead and covered the half-naked man with the sheath. Removing the pants would have to wait till he was sure Paul wouldn’t be in pain from it. He rested his hand on Paul’s, still on his chest, relived to feel the warmth in the fingers.

Paul wasn’t sleeping, but Daryl was happy to see him relaxed. After ten minutes Paul’s eyes seemed to focus a bit more when he opened them. They stayed open longer each time too. “How’re you feeling?”

Paul sent Daryl a crocked smile.

“Great…”

“So the pills are still good?”

Paul touched Daryl’s face a little too fast to complete the caress he was clearly going for.

“They’re… fa-fabu… fan-fab… amazing.”

Daryl nodded and tried to conceal a smile but had to give up. “Sure. How about you eat something.”

“Nope!” The loud word made Daryl almost jump off his chair. “How about _you_ …” Paul looked at Daryl with lust in his eyes. Then it seemed as if he’d forgotten what he was saying.

“Those pills really did a number on you, huh?” Daryl stood up and leaned in to kiss Paul on the forehead, but Paul grabbed his face with both hands, one definitely stronger than the other, and pulled him to his mouth.

The force in the kiss form the weak man, surprised Daryl and the gratitude in the eyes looking in his made it difficult holding himself from falling on Paul. Paul let go without warning and relaxed back in to the mattress.

“I’m kinda hungry.”

Daryl was getting head-rush from this roller-coaster but two minutes out of the room might do him good, and maybe Paul would actually fall asleep.

“Sure, I’ll ask Marcy to send something up.”

On the way out he almost stumbled over Paul’s boots. He looked at Paul who had already closed his eyes and looked like he’d forgotten that Daryl had even been there. Daryl smiled to himself and slowly pushed the boots under the bed with his foot. Paul always took his boots off by the front door and Paul was always in a hurry in the morning. Just the thought of Paul running around the house in a frenzy trying to locate his boots made Daryl chuckle as he left the room.


	2. Chapter 2

A purr of slight discomfort woke Daryl up. Paul was still on his back. Just as he’d been every time Daryl had woken up during the night. Daryl pushed himself up on his elbow and looked down at his sleeping boyfriend. It was seven am. No point in trying to sleep more now. Paul had been out for thirteen hours, and even with the broken sleep Daryl had had, that was more than enough for him. Paul’s eyes flickered, and he shifted with a small hum.

“Hey.” Daryl whispered to make sure he didn’t wake Paul up if he was still sleeping, but he was getting kinda nervous about the time he’d been out, and Daryl wasn’t sure it would be healthy for his own heart to wait any longer to know how Paul’s shoulder was doing. “You awake?”

Paul hummed and nodded slightly before he slowly opened his eyes.

“Mornin’ Rovia. How’re you feeling?”

The half-woken man took a second to make status over his body before he sent Daryl a contemplating look. “Sore... Hungry.”

Daryl rolled to his back laughing. “I’d think so!”

Paul slowly sat up and looked down at his boyfriend. “What?!”

After fighting off a second wave of laughter from seeing Paul’s confused face, Daryl sat up and looked Paul in the eyes, calming himself down.

“You passed out last night, before Marcy sent up dinner.” Paul looked down as if he was trying to remember. Daryl lifted his face with a loose hand on his chin. “How’re your shoulder?”

Paul rolled his shoulder slightly and winced. “Definitely sore.”

“Well, driving for forty-five minutes with it completely dislocated would do that to ya.” Daryl held on tighter to Paul’s jaw. “Don’t you ever do something that stupid again.”

With not much room to move, Paul managed to nod. “I know. I won’t. I was just…”

“I get it.” Daryl got up, locating his sweatpants on the chair nearby. “It’s a hell of a feeling, but waiting didn’t exactly made it more fun, did it?”

“Well, the painkillers weren’t that bad.”

Daryl looked up to see Paul sitting on the edge of the bed with a big smile on his face.

“So you _do_ remember that?”

“Well most of it. Up until after you got it back in place.” Paul got up slowly. Daryl wanted to protest, but ended up just getting closer if he needed help. Paul took his hands and let his lips touch Daryl’s lightly in complete contrast to the last kiss they shared.

“I don’t remember if I thanked you though.” Then he looked down and chuckled. “And I don’t remember taking my pants off. Did you have something to do with that?”

Daryl stepped back and shook his head with a less than patient smile. “I just told you, you were out cold.”

“You didn’t take advantage of the situation, now did you?”

Daryl grabbed Paul’s face with both hands and stood nose to nose close with his lover. “Trust me Rovia. If I’d done that, your shoulder wouldn’t be the part most sore.” With firm lips, Daryl blocked the smile Paul was building. Daryl kissed the shorter man deeply, till Paul’s knees loosened and Daryl felt his boyfriend sink into his grip.

Breathless they both took a step back, Daryl a bit more secure on his feet than Paul. “Do you want to shower or eat first? It may be good to get your muscles warmed a bit.”

“Let’s eat. I’ll might pass out in there if I don’t get something down first. Is Marcy up yet? What time is it anyway?”

The silence made Paul look at Daryl, who was just shaking his head and wondering how far gone Paul had been from those drugs.

“What?”

“Rovia. It’s Friday. Marcy is not working today.”

In a split second Paul was alert and tense. “What time is it?!” He quickly picked his uniform from the floor and started on the pants.

With a deep sigh Daryl walked slowly to Paul and took his hands. Fighting small protests from him, he got the soldier seated on the bed.

“Dee! I don’t have time. What is it?!”

Paul was actually starting to sound worried on top of the stress and slight panic. Daryl hunched down in front of him and handed him a piece of light blue paper from the nightstand. Paul looked confused, but Daryl just placed his hands on Paul’s shaking knees and felt them relax as his boyfriend looked over the paper.

Paul had placed the paper on the nightstand himself when he came home the day before. It was an approval of use of a sick-day. Strict instructions to stay home that Friday and not do any work-out over the weekend, was written on the free space of the paper. Not that they had needed to tell him; Daryl would have tied him to the bed if he’d tried to go to work. The medic at the base didn’t even know about the second dislocation so Daryl was definitely going to make sure Paul was all back and ready before going back on Monday.

“Now, should we eat?”

Paul was still calming his breathing, but nodded with a smile. Daryl grabbed his phone and a t-shirt while Paul found some looser pants than the uniform.

“Hold up.” There was a messaged on the phone from Marcy.

_I FIGURED YOU WOULD BE TIRED._

_THERE’S BREAKFAST IN THE DUMB._

_RELAX._

_SEE YOU TONIGHT._

How the hell did that twenty-one year old girl become their caretaker?

“Dee. C’mon, I’m starving here.”

“Check the dumbwaiter.”

The two men shared a quick smile and Paul knew exactly what Marcy had been up to. The pancakes were freshly made and still warm under the cloche.

* * *

After spending most of the time eating, looking at Paul, Daryl was sure it wasn’t only his shoulder that was sore. If it was from the fall or from tensing up in pain for so long he didn’t know, but he was definitely more stiff in his movements than he should be from a sore shoulder.

“You done?”

Paul swallowed the last bite and nodded.

“Good. I’ll clean, you take a bath.”

“Aren’t you coming with?”

Daryl stood up and gathered the plates and the ones from the dinner he’d eaten alone last night. “You just go. I’ll take a look at your shoulder after.”

“Why? It’s good.” Paul wasn’t arguing the bath though. He was already by the dresser finding a towel.

“I know. _I_ fixed it, remember?”

Paul grabbed his bicep as if he was protecting his shoulder. “Yeah. How could I forget?”

“Get in there.” Daryl gestured to the bathroom. “And make it a hot one.”

Paul disappeared through the door and Daryl took the dishes down to the kitchen and messaged Marcy thanks, before he loaded them in the washer.

* * *

Paul’s damp hair, the big sweatpants hanging on his hips and the white towel wrapped loosely around the dark red skin on his shoulders and neck, almost made Daryl regret not taking part in the bath.

“Come. Sit.”

Paul walked over and sat down at the edge of the bed as requested and Daryl climbed in to sit on his knees behind his boyfriend. “You know you’re not a doctor, right?”

“You didn’t have a problem with that last night.”

“Well, I was kinda out of it.”

Daryl chuckled. “To say the least. Now, just sit still and let me check you over.”

Paul’s skin was hot to the touch. Daryl started at the middle of Paul’s upper back, pressing lightly with his fingers, waling them out and up in small steps. Almost at the top of the shoulder blade Paul hissed and pulled away. Daryl moved both hands to Paul’s waist. If it was to steady him or to let him know where his hands were, Daryl didn’t know.

“Easy now… You good?”

“Yeah. Don’t do that again.”

Paul sat up straight. Still with his hands on the waist Daryl leaned in and placed a slow wet kiss on the sore muscle. Daryl moved one palm up Paul’s spine and started feeling for tensions at his hairline, moving down over the neck. The other hand joined as a mirror as he pressed his fingertips over Paul’s collarbones. The relaxed, deep breaths from Paul made Daryl relax too and he almost forgot what he was doing. Why he was touching Paul. Paul’s head leaned back on Daryl’s shoulder and Daryl felt the warmth of his breath in his ear. The decision to get the rest done was horrible to make, but there was a reason for this and they would have plenty of time to get lost in each other the next there days.

“Sit up, Hut-Stuff. Almost done.”

“I’m not sure I want it to be done.”

Paul sat up nonetheless and Daryl started on his upper arm. Pressing at the muscles, moving slowly up through the armpit and just an inch down the side of his body. Paul jumped off the bed with a howl and gasping he turned to look at Daryl.

With no delay, Daryl was standing with him holding Paul to his chest. “Sorry.”

“It… it’s okay. I’m… good.”

Daryl hugged Paul a little tighter, careful not to touch the shoulder, then he sat down and pulled Paul with him. He took his hand with both of his and rested it on Paul’s knee.

“Hey. Hot-Stuff…” Paul’s smile made Daryl relax to finish the request. “You’re extremely tensed up in your back. Let me massage it. I’m not going near your shoulder again.”

Paul lifted Daryl’s hands and kissed them both. “Of course. Thanks... but…”

“What?” Daryl noticed worry in Paul’s voice and eyes. “Paul. What is it?”

“My shoulder… Is it okay?”

The relief rushing through Daryl was ecstatic. He buried a hand in the damp hair on the back of Paul’s head and pushed their foreheads together looking him in the eyes. “It is. It’s just your muscles that are locked up. The swelling is gone. You’ll be just fine. No worries, okay?”

Paul nodded. Daryl separated them only to kiss Paul’s forehead.

“Lay down. I’ll get some oil.”

Paul got on his stomach and Daryl took place over his thighs. The lower back wasn’t bad just a little overworked, but being a part of Paul that wasn’t out of the ordinary. Daryl still took his time making sure everything was good and warm before moving up. Every inch he was done with was covered with a warm towel as he moved along to the next. The moans and hums coming from Paul as Daryl moved up over the middle of the back, indicated that he’d almost been sleeping.

“Tell me if it’s to much. If you can’t relax it’s not helping.”

Paul hummed in response and Daryl smiled to himself, by the obvious pleasure his boyfriend was showing. Getting too close to the shoulder only resulted in Paul tensing up for a second. As soon as Daryl let go, his lover was back to calm breaths, deep sighs and low moans.

After Paul had been sleeping under Daryl’s touch for at least twenty minutes, the hunter covered the rest of the bare back with a hot towel and went to hang a few more on the towel warmer in the bathroom.

He placed the cover over Paul’s entire body and climbed into bed laying nest to him.

“Dee…?”

“Shh. Rovia, relax.”

Daryl couldn’t help himself removing the strand of hair hanging over Paul’s, now open, eyes.

“I don’t think I can get more relaxed. I’m melting.”

Daryl tensed, ready to get up. “Are you too hot?”

Paul didn’t move a muscle. “I’m perfect. Melting is good. I’m melting through the mattress.”

Daryl was starting to wonder if the pills were all out of Paul’s system.

“Soon I’ll be on the floor. No wait!” Paul didn’t move, but the gaze he suddenly had on Daryl was forceful and belonged to a man very much awake. “I won’t be on the floor. Not entirely. There’s a pair of military boots under the bed.”

Daryl didn’t have time to react or say something. “I saw them when I picked up my uniform. Did you seriously think you could get away with that?”

Before Daryl could decide if he should laugh or make some kind of joke, Paul had closed his eyes, and didn’t look like he wanted an answer anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short two-parter with some fluff mixed in there. Hope you like it. Please let me know. 
> 
> The next work will be from Marcy's point of view. I'm getting to know her a little better and want you to know her too ;-) Hope you're with me.


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